Lavatera plant named ‘Barnsley Baby’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Lavatera plant named ‘Barnsley Baby’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and relatively short plant habit; freely flowering habit; and white-colored flowers with red purple-colored centers.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Lavatera L. cultivarBarnsley Baby.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lavateraplant, botanically known as Lavatera L., and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name Barnsley Baby.

The new Lavatera originated from a chance cross-pollination of twounidentified selections of Lavatera L., not patented. The new Lavaterawas discovered by the Inventor in 1998 in Overslag, The Netherlands.Plants of the new Lavatera differed primarily from plants of theunidentified parental selections in plant size and flower color.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings in Overslag, TheNetherlands since 1998, has shown that the unique features of this newLavatera are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Barnsley Baby have not been observed under allpossible environmental and cultural conditions. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, lightintensity, daylength, irrigation amount and frequency, and/or fertilizerrate without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Barnsley Baby’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Barnsley Baby’ as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. Upright, outwardly spreading and relatively short plant habit.

2. Freely flowering habit.

3. White-colored flowers with red purple-colored centers.

Plants of the new Lavatera can be compared to plants of the Lavateracultivar Barnsley, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conductedin Overslag, The Netherlands, plants of the new Lavatera differed fromof the cultivar Barnsley in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Lavatera were much shorter than plants of thecultivar Barnsley.

2. Plants of the new Lavatera had darker colored stems than plants ofthe cultivar Barnsley.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Lavatera, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Lavatera. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical two-year old flowering plant of ‘Barnsley Baby’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for thefollowing description were about two years old and grown under outdoorfield conditions which closely approximate commercial productionconditions in Overslag, The Netherlands. The photograph and thedescription information were taken in September, 2001.

Botanical classification: Lavatera L. cultivar Barnsley Baby.

Parentage: Cross-pollination of two unidentified selections of LavateraL., not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—By cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 60 days at 18 to 20° C.

Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 90 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Thick, somewhat fleshy, white to light brown in color.

Plant description:

Form.—Perennial flowering shrub; upright and outwardly spreading planthabit; freely branching; moderately vigorous growth habit.

Plant height.—About 1 meter.

Plant diameter.—About 1 meter.

Lateral branch description.—Number per plant: About 12. Length: About 35cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode length: About 2.7 cm. Strength:Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 137D overlain with 197A to N220B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 5.5cm. Width: About 3.3 cm. Shape: Ovate, lobed. Apex: Very shortmucronate. Base: Hastate. Margin: Crenate. Texture, upper and lowersurfaces: Pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate.

Petiole.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Texture:Glabrous. Color: Young and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137Ato 137B. Young and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 191A.Venation, upper surface: 144B. Venation, lower surface: 191A. Petiole:137D.

Flower description:

Appearance.—Single axillary flowers with five petals. Flowers notpersistent. Flowers face mostly outwardly.

Quantity of flowers.—About 20 flowers per lateral branch develop duringthe flowering season.

Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from July throughSeptember in Overslag, The Netherlands.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Flower longevity.—About one week.

Flower diameter.—About 5.2 cm.

Flower depth (height).—About 3.7 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 143C.

Petals.—Quantity per flower: Five. Arrangement: Rotate. Length: About3.5 cm. Width: About 2.7 cm. Shape: Roughly deltoid. Apex: Emarginate.Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:Closest to 155D; towards base, 63A. When opening and fully opened, lowersurface: Closest to 155D; towards base, 61B.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five. Arrangement: Rotate. Length: About1.1 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Rhomboidal. Apex: Acuminate toaristate. Base: Broadly cuneate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upperand lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color: When opening and fully opened,upper surface: 144B; towards apices, 138B. When opening and fullyopened, lower surface: 145A; towards apices, 138B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm. Angle: About 35to 50° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color: 138B.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 50. Anthershape: Reniform; dorsifixed. Anther length: About 0.8 mm. Anther color:Between 155A and 157D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to155A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.7 cm.Style length: About 1.4 cm. Style color: 64B. Stigma shape: Terete.Stigma color: 63B. Ovary color: 63A.

Fruit.—Quantity per plant: About 480. Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter:About 1.4 cm. Color: 199C to 199D.

Seed.—Quantity per fruit: About ten. Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About1.5 mm. Color: N200A to N200B.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lavatera have not been notedto be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Lavatera.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Lavatera are tolerant totemperatures from about 7 to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lavatera plant named‘Barnsley Baby’, as illustrated and described.